DIY holiday stovetop simmer

Updated 3:05 am, Sunday, December 2, 2012

Please photograph 4 products on a white background for the Holiday Home section.
Hide and Seek by David Carter
Diptyque's Feu de Bois candle
Mydrap cotton cocktail napkins
West Elm mercury glass votives

Please photograph 4 products on a white background for the Holiday Home section.
Hide and Seek by David Carter
Diptyque's Feu de Bois candle
Mydrap cotton cocktail napkins
West Elm mercury glass votives

Photo: Russell Yip, The Chronicle

DIY holiday stovetop simmer

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This DIY stove-top simmer couldn't be easier to throw together. Start with 2 cups of water in a saucepan and add herbs and spices you have on hand, keeping in mind that spices and herbs should come from a similar scent family. Woody, resinous herbs such as rosemary can be paired with peppercorns, star anise and juniper berries. Citrus peels can be paired with orange and lemon essential oils, lemon verbena, lemon balm and coriander seed. For a classic holiday simmer, combine 2 cups of water, 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 tablespoon of cloves, 1 whole nutmeg, 4 star anise, 2 tablespoons of crushed cardamom pods and the peel of one orange. Keep on the stove top on low, checking periodically to make sure that all the water doesn't evaporate. Store in the fridge; reuse up to two more times with a fresh batch of water. For more inspiration, shop the bulk herb and tea section of health foods stores for items such as dried chamomile and hibiscus flowers and rose hips.